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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · present · bound · charge · dip · root · mug · tear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mug — a face
  7. charge — a price
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — a gift
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. bound — certain
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. present — the time now
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com